Progressive House members, including Rep. Ro Khanna, say a proposed rule change that would allow new spending only if offset by matching cuts or increased future revenues, will seriously hamper its favored proposals, including Medicare for All.

The rule, known as “PayGo,” is part of a rules package coming before the new Democratic Congress. Khanna’s stance elicited a comment from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s deputy chief of staff, which Khanna later attempted to spur on a conversation.

This is not accurate and no serious progressive economist agrees with you. We could pass policies in the House without an offset, and then negotiate in conference for the appropriate tax increases on the 1%. We shouldn’t be negotiating against ourselves! https://t.co/mAbOYQN09i

Khanna, who represents Fremont in the East Bay and parts of Silicon Valley, has been an strong opponent of the rule change. An ally in New York progressive Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also opposes PayGo.

“I will be voting NO on the Rules package with #PayGo,” Khanna wrote Wednesday. “It is terrible economics. The austerians were wrong about the Great Recession and Great Depression. At some point, politicians need to learn from mistakes and read economic history.”

He continued his criticism of PayGo on Thursday, calling it absurd that some Democrats campaigned last fall for a $1 trillion infrastructure plan that would be undercut by PayGo, even though it creates millions of jobs and revenue growth.

2Comments

Ro Khanna has impeccable Progressive bona fides, At age 42 he is a likely hard charger. He voted with Pelosi and Eric Smallwell in support of FEMA HR 4667 Disaster Approval ($81B); voted with Beto to support an amendment to HR 2810 in realigning Military Bases which was defeated. The House supported the Tom McClintock’s bill which would have removed the Military’s changes to base closures. Ro is learning the art of the deal. There was not $81B for FEMA. Most of the money is for future pork and infrastructure. The Republicans opposed it an lost.

Ro is really a politician and supporter of pork where it fits. PayGo is thought by most to be a self imposed reducer of Pork and is supported by Pelosi. When the $81B for Disaster Relief was passed, the cost could have been negotiated down so that the money needed just for FEMA would have been funded. As it is to get the much needed FEMA bill past, millions of dollars were approved to benefit the House Members that supported it.

I am no supporter of Trump or even a Republican, but if PayGo prevents this waste then I am all for it. The Khanna, Smallwell, O’Rourke Progressives need to get with the Democratic program. Pelosi supported both of these two positions. Perhaps she will take more kindly to folks not backing her. I am not betting on that. Maybe they can buck Pelosi, but my money is not on them.

Only three Democrats, Ro Khanna of California, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York & Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii rejected Nancy Pelosi and voted against PayGo. Ro and his cohorts will have a hard time getting leadership support I suspect. 2019 will be another year of invective and disunity.